Norwegian King Harald V visited Oslo's Jewish community on Tuesday as part of an effort to reach out to the country's minorities.It was the first time a king visited the Norwegian Jewish community in its more than 100 years of existence."The king is in fact giving the Jews the feeling that anyone who lives in this country is part of the Norwegian society," said Rabbi Joav Melchior of the Oslo Jewish community, who moved from Jerusalem to Norway three years ago, following in his father's footsteps. Former Israeli social and Diaspora affairs minister Michael Melchior was the rabbi of Oslo for 19 ...

Former MK Michael Melchior was Kadima's preferred candidate for chairman of the Jewish Agency, and to run against Natan Sharansky, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's candidate. But Melchior, who represented Meimad in the Knesset, decided not to run after a lengthy deliberation.Kadima's decision to oppose Sharansky was a move to exploit the current power struggle between Netanyahu and the American representatives and donors on the Jewish Agency's board of governors.
By Nir Hasson
Original source: HAARETZ.com